SparkNotes: Othello: Plot Overview Plot Overview Context Character List Othello begins on a street in Venice, in the midst of an argument between Roderigo, a rich man, and Iago. Roderigo has been paying Iago to help him in his suit to Desdemona. But Roderigo has just learned that Desdemona has married Othello, a general whom Iago begrudgingly serves as ensign. Iago says he hates Othello, who recently passed him over for the position of lieutenant in favor of the inexperienced soldier Michael Cassio. Unseen, Iago and Roderigo cry out to Brabanzio that his daughter Desdemona has been stolen by and married to Othello, the Moor. Brabanzio finds that his daughter is indeed missing, and he gathers some officers to find Othello. Not wanting his hatred of Othello to be known, Iago leaves Roderigo and hurries back to Othello before Brabanzio sees him. At Othello’s lodgings, Cassio arrives with an urgent message from the duke: Othello’s help is needed in the matter of the imminent Turkish invasion of Cyprus.

Not long afterward, Brabanzio arrives with Roderigo and others, and accuses Othello of stealing his daughter by witchcraft. When he finds out that Othello is on his way to speak with the duke, -Brabanzio decides to go along and accuse Othello before the assembled senate. Brabanzio’s plan backfires. The duke and senate are very sympathetic toward Othello. Given a chance to speak for himself, Othello explains that he wooed and won Desdemona not by witchcraft but with the stories of his adventures in travel and war. The duke finds Othello’s explanation convincing, and Desdemona herself enters at this point to defend her choice in marriage and to announce to her father that her allegiance is now to her husband. Brabanzio is frustrated, but acquiesces and allows the senate meeting to resume. The duke says that Othello must go to Cyprus to aid in the defense against the Turks, who are headed for the island. Desdemona insists that she accompany her husband on his trip, and preparations are made for them to depart that night. In Cyprus the following day, two gentlemen stand on the shore with Montano, the governor of Cyprus.

A third gentleman arrives and reports that the Turkish fleet has been wrecked in a storm at sea. Cassio, whose ship did not suffer the same fate, arrives soon after, followed by a second ship carrying Iago, Roderigo, Desdemona, and Emilia, Iago’s wife. Once they have landed, Othello’s ship is sighted, and the group goes to the harbor. As they wait for Othello, Cassio greets Desdemona by clasping her hand. Watching them, Iago tells the audience that he will use “as little a web as this” hand-holding to ensnare Cassio (II.i.169). Othello arrives, greets his wife, and announces that there will be reveling that evening to celebrate Cyprus’s safety from the Turks. Once everyone has left, Roderigo complains to Iago that he has no chance of breaking up Othello’s marriage. Iago assures Roderigo that as soon as Desdemona’s “blood is made dull with the act of sport,” she will lose interest in Othello and seek sexual satisfaction elsewhere (II.i.222).

However, Iago warns that “elsewhere” will likely be with Cassio. Iago counsels Roderigo that he should cast Cassio into disgrace by starting a fight with Cassio at the evening’s revels. In a soliloquy, Iago explains to the audience that eliminating Cassio is the first crucial step in his plan to ruin Othello. That night, Iago gets Cassio drunk and then sends Roderigo to start a fight with him. Apparently provoked by Roderigo, Cassio chases Roderigo across the stage. Governor Montano attempts to hold Cassio down, and Cassio stabs him. Iago sends Roderigo to raise alarm in the town. The alarm is rung, and Othello, who had left earlier with plans to consummate his marriage, soon arrives to still the commotion. When Othello demands to know who began the fight, Iago feigns reluctance to implicate his “friend” Cassio, but he ultimately tells the whole story. Othello then strips Cassio of his rank of lieutenant.

Cassio is extremely upset, and he laments to Iago, once everyone else has gone, that his reputation has been ruined forever. Iago assures Cassio that he can get back into Othello’s good graces by using Desdemona as an intermediary. In a soliloquy, Iago tells us that he will frame Cassio and Desdemona as lovers to make -Othello jealous. In an attempt at reconciliation, Cassio sends some musicians to play beneath Othello’s window. Othello, however, sends his clown to tell the musicians to go away. Hoping to arrange a meeting with Desdemona, Cassio asks the clown, a peasant who serves Othello, to send Emilia to him. After the clown departs, Iago passes by and tells Cassio that he will get Othello out of the way so that Cassio can speak privately with Desdemona. Othello, Iago, and a gentleman go to examine some of the town’s fortifications. Desdemona is quite sympathetic to Cassio’s request and promises that she will do everything she can to make Othello forgive his former lieutenant.

As Cassio is about to leave, Othello and Iago return. Feeling uneasy, Cassio leaves without talking to Othello. Othello inquires whether it was Cassio who just parted from his wife, and Iago, beginning to kindle Othello’s fire of jealousy, replies, “No, sure, I cannot think it, / That he would steal away so guilty-like, / Seeing your coming” (III.iii.37–39). Othello becomes upset and moody, and Iago furthers his goal of removing both Cassio and Othello by suggesting that Cassio and Desdemona are involved in an affair. Desdemona’s entreaties to Othello to reinstate Cassio as lieutenant add to Othello’s almost immediate conviction that his wife is unfaithful. After Othello’s conversation with Iago, Desdemona comes to call Othello to supper and finds him feeling unwell. She offers him her handkerchief to wrap around his head, but he finds it to be “[t]oo little” and lets it drop to the floor (III.iii.291).

Desdemona and Othello go to dinner, and Emilia picks up the handkerchief, mentioning to the audience that Iago has always wanted her to steal it for him. Iago is ecstatic when Emilia gives him the handkerchief, which he plants in Cassio’s room as “evidence” of his affair with Desdemona. When Othello demands “ocular proof” (III.iii.365) that his wife is unfaithful, Iago says that he has seen Cassio “wipe his beard” (III.iii.444) with Desdemona’s handkerchief—the first gift Othello ever gave her. Othello vows to take vengeance on his wife and on Cassio, and Iago vows that he will help him. When Othello sees Desdemona later that evening, he demands the handkerchief of her, but she tells him that she does not have it with her and attempts to change the subject by continuing her suit on Cassio’s behalf. This drives Othello into a further rage, and he storms out. Later, Cassio comes onstage, wondering about the handkerchief he has just found in his chamber.

He is greeted by Bianca, a prostitute, whom he asks to take the handkerchief and copy its embroidery for him. Through Iago’s machinations, Othello becomes so consumed by jealousy that he falls into a trance and has a fit of epilepsy. As he writhes on the ground, Cassio comes by, and Iago tells him to come back in a few minutes to talk. Once Othello recovers, Iago tells him of the meeting he has planned with Cassio. He instructs Othello to hide nearby and watch as Iago extracts from Cassio the story of his affair with Desdemona. While Othello stands out of earshot, Iago pumps Cassio for information about Bianca, causing Cassio to laugh and confirm Othello’s suspicions. Bianca herself then enters with Desdemona’s handkerchief, reprimanding Cassio for making her copy out the embroidery of a love token given to him by another woman. When Desdemona enters with Lodovico and Lodovico subsequently gives Othello a letter from Venice calling him home and instating Cassio as his replacement, Othello goes over the edge, striking Desdemona and then storming out.

That night, Othello accuses Desdemona of being a whore. He ignores her protestations, seconded by Emilia, that she is innocent. Iago assures Desdemona that Othello is simply upset about matters of state. Later that night, however, Othello ominously tells Desdemona to wait for him in bed and to send Emilia away. Meanwhile, Iago assures the still-complaining Roderigo that everything is going as planned: in order to prevent Desdemona and Othello from leaving, Roderigo must kill Cassio. Then he will have a clear avenue to his love. Iago instructs Roderigo to ambush Cassio, but Roderigo misses his mark and Cassio wounds him instead. Iago wounds Cassio and runs away. When Othello hears Cassio’s cry, he assumes that Iago has killed Cassio as he said he would. Lodovico and Graziano enter to see what the commotion is about. Iago enters shortly thereafter and flies into a pretend rage as he “discovers” Cassio’s assailant Roderigo, whom he murders. Cassio is taken to have his wound dressed.

Meanwhile, Othello stands over his sleeping wife in their bedchamber, preparing to kill her. Desdemona wakes and attempts to plead with Othello. She asserts her innocence, but Othello smothers her. Emilia enters with the news that Roderigo is dead. Othello asks if Cassio is dead too and is mortified when Emilia says he is not. After crying out that she has been murdered, Desdemona changes her story before she dies, claiming that she has committed suicide. Emilia asks Othello what happened, and Othello tells her that he has killed Desdemona for her infidelity, which Iago brought to his attention. Montano, Graziano, and Iago come into the room. Iago attempts to silence Emilia, who realizes what Iago has done. At first, Othello insists that Iago has told the truth, citing the handkerchief as evidence. Once Emilia tells him how she found the handkerchief and gave it to Iago, Othello is crushed and begins to weep. He tries to kill Iago but is disarmed.

Iago kills Emilia and flees, but he is caught by Lodovico and Montano, who return holding Iago captive. They also bring Cassio, who is now in a chair because of his wound. Othello wounds Iago and is disarmed. Lodovico tells Othello that he must come with them back to Venice to be tried. Othello makes a speech about how he would like to be remembered, then kills himself with a sword he had hidden on his person. The play closes with a speech by Lodovico. He gives Othello’s house and goods to Graziano and orders that Iago be executed. Othello Character Introduction Shakespeare's Characters: Othello A preliminary assumption may be that, because Othello kills his beloved wife after the devious machinations of Iago, then perhaps Othello is as much a victim of Iago's evil as Desdemona is of Othello's wrath.

Some may argue that the sin of Iago - to plot the downfall of the Moor - is worse because it blossoms in a diabolical, calculating mind, as opposed to the sin of Othello which is committed because he has become a mere pawn in Iago's hands, blinded by hurt, ruined by his own naivete. However, it can be shown that Othello allows himself to be manipulated. Iago's suggestion of the infidelity of Desdemona provides just the excuse Othello needs to justify the destruction of the wife he believes cannot truly love him. The argument can be made that Desdemona's murder is a result of Othello's pride and rush to judgment and, as a result, he must be held accountable. Othello, unlike Iago, is capable of forming strong, loving relationships; his genuine friendship with Iago confirms this fact. Othello allows himself to be influenced by Iago, and allows Iago to bring out his most evil characteristics. Although Iago may be the more innately evil of the two, Othello does little to prevent his base instincts from becoming dominant.

To see why Othello commits his crime and why he has to be held accountable for it, we must examine his motive. It can be claimed that what actually causes Othello to commit murder is not his being mentally weakened and manipulated by Iago, but rather his own pride and lack of confidence which he allows to gain control. Othello is a strong leader, self-assured in his ability to handle military matters, but he is insecure with his personal qualities. He is in a new city with different customs. He has a new bride - a young and beautiful girl - whom he loves but does not know well. He is unsure why Desdemona would choose him for her husband, and can only fathom one explanation, "She lov'd me for the dangers I had pass'd." (1.3.167) The Moor surely is aware of the widespread prejudice in Venice and certainly must question why Desdemona would defy her culture and fellow white Venetians by marrying a black man. Othello has his doubts about Desdemona before Iago begins his scheming. Even though his wife shows nothing but love for him, Othello cannot believe in her love wholeheartedly.

His answer to his doubts is, initially, to put Desdemona on a pedestal, making her an "emblem of purity and trustworthiness" (Kenneth Muir, Aspects of Othello, 17). 'Tis not to make me jealous To say my wife is fair, feeds well, loves company, Is free of speech, sings, plays, and dances well. Where virtue is, these are more virtuous. Nor from mine own weak merits will I draw The smallest fear or doubt of her revolt, For she had eyes, and chose me.(3.3.208-14) Othello is going reach the precarious conclusion that Desdemona's compassion and virtue alone enable her to love the unlovable. When Iago does shatter the Moor's idealistic image of Desdemona, he is simply reinforcing what Othello believes deep down to be totally possible: that Desdemona could love another man. Iago cleverly argues that Desdemona is quite capable of betrayal because she has already betrayed her own race and breeding to marry a Moor: Ay, there's the point!

as (to be bold with you) Not to affect many proposed matches Of her own clime, complexion, and degree, Whereto we see in all things nature tends ... Her will, recoiling to her better judgement, May fall to match you with her country forms, And happily repent. (3.3.228-34) With Iago's validation of his suspicions, the Moor's barbaric nature can surface. His warrior instincts can take over, which is exactly what Othello wanted all along. He is comfortable only in the role of the aggressor. Why does Othello not make a better effort to combat Iago's accusations? It is true that he asks for some material proof of his wife's treachery, but he does not at all question the evidence when it is laid before him. As far as Othello is concerned a trusted friend and soldier has confirmed what he himself suspected all along and that is proof enough -- reason enough to condemn her to death. The most damaging evidence that Othello is fully reasonable, and rendering this twisted justice out of pride and bitterness, comes In Act 4.

Othello has had an epileptic seizure and is clearly shaken, yet it is obvious that he is still in full possession of his mental faculties. His low self-esteem led him to believe in Desdemona's betrayal, but his fierce warrior conceit will force him to make sure she pays dearly for her transgression. Like Iago, plotting his course of destructive action, Othello too plots the death of Desdemona with calculating reason: Ay, let her rot, and perish, and be calm to-night; for she shall not live. No, my heart is turn'd to stone. (4.1.178-9) Othello is now concerned only with rendering justice: Iago: Do it not with poison. Strangle her in bed, even the bed she hath contaminated. (4.1.202) Othello: Good, good! The justice of it pleases. Very good! (4.1.204) Othello claims that he is not seeking revenge. However, by refusing Desdemona the chance to defend herself, it is not clear how his form of justice differs from pure vengeance.

The Moor is going to make sure the adulteress pays for her crime and her deception. After all, she made him look like a fool: "Yet she must die, else she'll betray more men" (5.2.6). Othello is going to save others from falling into her diabolical trap; he is acting as judge and executioner without permitting Desdemona an attempt to prove her innocence. One must ask if these are the actions of a mentally weak man, a mere puppet in the hands of lago? Othello cannot trust his wife on earth because he is incapable of understanding why she loves him and, therefore, cannot believe her love is genuine. After she is dead, he will be free to love his idealistic image of Desdemona without worry: Be thus when thou art dead, and I will kill thee, And love thee after ... (5.2.18-9) Othello kills Desdemona under the guise of righteous indignation and will not admit his true motive. When Othello finds out Desdemona truly is the pure and innocent emblem he created in his mind, he is obligated to commit suicide. The Moor must again render justice, this time upon himself.

Othello's remorse and subsequent suicide is the only reason why we should not place him on the same villainous level as Iago. But, at the same time, his feelings of guilt after-the-fact cannot be allowed to exonerate him. Othello has an obligation to allow Desdemona to contend the charge of adultery. He chooses to disregard that obligation in favour of satisfying his own fixations. It would be easier for us to defend Othello and cast all the blame on Iago. Iago is an aberration, but Othello is 'Everyman', fighting an internal battle between good and evil. It would feel better to see Othello as a mental weakling, driven insane by his pain and confusion. We could then say with certainty that he did not choose evil over good. But we cannot exonerate him. Othello's sin against Desdemona is as heinous as Iago's sin against Othello. Othello proves it with his own words: Desdemona: Kill me to-morrow; let me live to-night! Othello: Nay, an you strive- Desdeemona: But half an hour! Othello: Being done, there is no pause.

Desdemona: But while I say one prayer! Othello: It is too late. (5.2.80-5) Please note that this is only one interpretation of the character of Othello. Many believe Othello to be wholly innocent and heroic in the face of Iago's evil. For a more forgiving view of the Moor, please see A. C. Bradley's Lecture on Othello . Shakespeare Solved: Othello is Otho is King James Othello is Otho is King James I am very excited to share with you a discovery I made. This discovery not only changes our understanding of one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays, but it also deepens our understanding of who Shakespeare really was. Othello Most of Shakespeare’s plays were based on older stories, with character names that had already been established. When he wrote his Hamlet play, he modeled it after an older story called “Amleth." The name Amleth is interchangeable with the name Hamlet. When he wrote Macbeth, he based it on a well-known story of “Macbeth” found in Raphael Holinshed’s Chronicles.

When Shakespeare wrote the play The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice there was no Othello yet. The name “Othello” did not exist, and there was no precedent in history or literature for this name. Shakespeare’s primary source for his play -- about a soldier who is betrayed by his ensign into thinking that his wife is unfaithful, and then kills her -- was the story Un Capitano Moro (“A Moorish Captain”) by an Italian writer named Cinthio. Desdemona and Othello Therefore, Shakespeare had a rare opportunity to invent the name of the character for the character of the Moorish captain. Shakespeare chose the name Othello. He also invented the name Iago, for the evil ensign. The wife was Desdemona, a name which came from Cinthio’s story. But why did Shakespeare choose the name Othello? Where did it come from? Was there a real Othello? I have discovered that Shakespeare’s Othello character is based on the Roman emperor Marcus Salvius Otho Caesar Augustus , whose cognomen (nickname) is Otho. Otho was friends with Emperor Nero.

Nero stole Otho’s wife, Poppea Sabina, and sent Otho away to serve in a distant Roman province. Not long after, Nero killed Poppea. Nero later committed suicide, when an insurrection was building against him. Nero was succeeded by Galba, a former governor of a Spanish province, whom Otho had supported against Nero. Otho immediately plotted against Emperor Galba, who only ruled for 9 months. Otho had Galba killed. Then Otho became Emperor. Otho was challenged by a military commander named Vitellius. There was a series of battles between them. Otho decided to kill himself to prevent a civil war. He had been emperor for only 3 months. Vitellius succeeded Otho, and only ruled for 8 months. Vitellius was succeeded by Vespasian, who only ruled for less than one year. This tumultuous period in Roman history is known as the Year of the Four Emperors . Emperor Otho CONNECTIONS BETWEEN OTHO AND OTHELLO: 1.

Infidelity: Otho’s beautiful wife Poppea Sabina was stolen from him by Emperor Nero, who eventually killed her. Shakespeare’s Othello character fears that his beautiful wife Desdemona has been unfaithful, and after his mind is poisoned with jealousy against her, he kills Desdemona. 2. Nero: Emperor Nero killed Otho’s wife Poppea. “Nero” is the Italian word for “black.” Shakespeare’s Othello, commonly believed to be black, kills Desdemona. In the context of Shakespeare’s play, “black” does not necessarily have a racial meaning. For example, Othello speaks of taking “black vengeance” against Desdemona. Shakespeare may very well be using the race of the Othello character symbolically. 3. Suicide: Otho committed suicide to prevent a civil war. Othello commits suicide when he learns the truth of Desdemona’s innocence. 4. A noble suicide: Otho killed himself with a knife. His suicide was considered a honourable and noble solution to the brewing war, and it was celebrated as such. Othello kills himself with a knife.

He was a noble and valiant soldier, and even after his suicide, Cassio says of him: “he was great of heart.” These connections between Otho and Othello may seem superficial. They are. In writing this Othello play, Shakespeare had no interest in telling the story of an ancient Roman Emperor. The connection between Otho and Othello served to make a connection to King James . Shakespeare’s purpose in writing his Othello play was to paint a portrait of King James. When James claimed the throne of England in 1603, he promoted Shakespeare and his fellow actors, who were the most popular acting company at the time. They became the King’s Men -- the official court players for the king. Shakespeare was not just writing his Othello play for King James, but rather he wrote the play about King James. It is important to know that the play’s first recorded performance was 1 November, 1604. It was performed in the Palace of Whitehall, in the Banqueting House, for the king himself. This was 20 months after James became king. King James CONNECTIONS BETWEEN OTHO AND KING JAMES: 1.

Lepanto: Shakespeare used another source for his Othello play -- an epic poem entitled Lepanto. It told the story of the Battle of Lepanto (in Greece) where a Catholic Christian naval force defeated an invading Turkish fleet. Shakespeare’s character Othello commands an army against an invading Turkish fleet. Lepanto was written by King James himself. 2. Physical deformity: Otho was “splay-footed and bandy-legged.” James suffered from rickets as a child. It made his steps uneven, and he had one foot turned permanently outwards. 3. Sexuality: Otho was described as “almost feminine in his care of his person” and had several sexual relationships with men. James was effeminate, and is thought to have had sexual relationships with men, such as Esme Stuart Sieur d’Aubigny, Robert Carr, and George Villiers . 4. Beaten as a child: When Otho was a boy, he was often flogged by his father. Henry Stuart, James’s father, was killed not long after he was born. James had a tutor, George Buchanan, whose strict teaching method included physical abuse. 5.

Extravagance: Otho is described as “extravagant and reckless.” James’s extravagances and spending as king are infamous, he abused an already depleted royal treasury, and he fought frequently with his Parliament about finances. 6. Leadership: Otho promised to govern equitably, and bring peace to the empire. King James promised to govern equitably, and bring peace and toleration between religious factions in the country. 7. Clemency: As soon as Otho became emperor, he faced very strong opposition, and showed clemency to former supporters of Galba. As soon as James became king, he faced very strong opposition, but showed little to no clemency towards those who were faithful to Queen Elizabeth. For example, King James foiled two plots against his life, the Bye and Main plots of 1603. One of Queen Elizabeth’s most famous courtiers, Sir Walter Raleigh , was implicated in the Main plot. He was tried and sentenced to death. His actual execution was delayed until 1616. 8. Civil War: Otho’s peace was short-lived. He could not find a solution to the growing civil war, which did turn violent.

During one incident, according to Suetonius: “then on a sudden all the soldiers hastened to the Palace without any particular leader, demanding the death of the senators.” Many people were killed. King James’s greatest ambition was to unite England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales into a Great Britain. But he was met with fierce opposition, especially in Parliament. The religious and political turmoil resulted in the Gunpowder Plot on November 5, 1605. Conspirators attempted to blow up the houses of Parliament, and murder James, his family and as many people in his government as possible. This Gunpowder Plot could very well have ignited a civil war. It did not, but the seeds of such a war were sown at this time. King James’s son Charles , who succeeded his father as king, did lead the country into a civil war in 1642, which lasted until 1651. King Charles was the first English king executed for treason by his parliament. 9. Suicide: Otho killed himself to stop a civil war. He was 38 years old. James seemed to ignore the growing problems in England, which could have turned into a war.

In 1607, there was even a revolt in the Midlands, and a rebellion in Newton. King James was 38 years old in 1604, the year Shakespeare wrote and performed Othello for him. 10. “Sheer Grief”: When the news of Otho’s suicide spread, many of his soldiers killed themselves from “sheer grief.” If James had died in 1604, it is hard to imagine that any of his courtiers or soldiers would have killed themselves. This contrast would have been understood by King James, Shakespeare and their contemporaries. In fact, there was a prejudice against King James, and the Scottish in general . They considered the Scots people to be "alien, dangerous and uncivilised." These are words which could well describe a Moorish General who marries the daughter of a proud senator of Venice. SHAKESPEARE’S SOURCES Where did Shakespeare learn about Otho? 1. Plutarch: Shakespeare read Sir Thomas North’s translation of the Greek historian Plutarch’s writings, which included the story of Otho . In fact, there was a third edition of the book in 1603.

Since the first recorded performance of Othello was on 1 November 1604, it would follow that Shakespeare may have seen the latest edition and used it as a source for his new play. North’s translation of Plutarch also served as Shakespeare’s source for Julius Caesar, Coriolanus and Antony and Cleopatra. 2. The Mirror for Magistrates: The Mirror for Magistrates was a very popular and widely read compendium of English poems by different writers, with editions released from 1559 to 1621. Each edition included stories and lives of famous historical figures such as King Richard II, Cordila (Cordelia), Julius Caesar among others. 2a. Otho: The Mirror for Magistrates edition from 1587 includes a poem about Otho. 2b. Iago: The same 1587 edition includes an entry for Jago, or Iago (which in English is James) who was a mythical British King, according to Geoffrey of Monmouth ’s History of the Kings of Britain.

In The Mirror for Magistrates, Iago’s “life and government” were “vile.” Why did Shakespeare represent King James as both the Othello character and the Iago character? I explore this question in my forthcoming version of Othello. 3. The Tale of Gamelyn: The romance story The Tale of Gamelyn , written anonymously in circa 1350, was included in Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, following the unfinished Cook’s Tale. Shakespeare based his play As You Like It on a prose romance Rosalynde, written by Thomas Lodge, which was based on The Tale of Gamelyn. The tale is about Gamelyn, the youngest of three sons who has to struggle to claim his share of land which his father had wanted to divide among his three sons. Gamelyn is the protagonist. The oldest brother, Johan is the antagonist. The middle brother, who helps Gamelyn, is named Otho. There does not seem to be much relevance between the Otho of this tale and Shakespeare’s Othello play. However, it is clear that Shakespeare had this tale in mind when he wrote his King Lear play, which was yet another play written for the entertainment of King James.

King James, the real Othello In conclusion, it is clear that Shakespeare invented the name Othello -- which has no precedent in history or literature -- to make a connection to the Roman Emperor Otho, and Otho has a clear connection to King James. Shakespeare wrote the play not only for but about the king. As important as this discovery is, it is even more significant because it gives us a deeper understanding of Shakespeare’s raison d’etre, his reason for being. Shakespeare was writing about King James. But the fact that he did this, and what he wrote in the play gives us a very unique understanding of the real Shakespeare. This discovery also serves as proof that Shakespeare did not write his plays divorced from the time and place in which he wrote. He was a product of Elizabethan London, and he did not write his plays as mere entertainment. He was writing about his life and times, and if this Othello discovery is any indication, there is much more to be found in his plays that serve as commentary on the tumultuous social, political and religious changes he witnessed. I am currently writing a new version of Othello, which explores all of these matters and gives more answers to the questions raised by this discovery.

What was Shakespeare really like? On a personal note, I am inspired by the work of Stephen Greenblatt, James Shapiro, Stanley Wells, Germaine Greer, Samuel Schoenbaum, Jonathan Bate, J. Dover Wilson, Harold Bloom and many others whose books have taught me so much about Shakespeare. I hope that this discovery will inspire more people to learn more about not just Shakespeare’s plays and poetry, but also his life and times. WHY? Why did Shakespeare make a connection between Othello to Otho to James? The answers are found in the history of the reign of King James, and his playwright William Shakespeare. I am not a scholar. I am a writer, an artist. I write stories about Shakespeare, from his point of view, which try to make sense of his life and his art. I have written three versions of Shakespeare’s plays, which solve them for the first time by setting them in their original historical context. I present the plays as they would have been first performed, by Shakespeare himself and his company of actors.

I have come to know that the only way to understand Shakespeare's plays is to try and understand his original audience in Elizabeth London -- the laborers, the merchants, the courtiers, and all the rest. My versions of the plays puts us in the middle of this audience. When they laugh at what's funny, cry at what's sad, and heckle the actors, we the modern audience get a much better understanding of what the plays were really like. It is a fact that Shakespeare did not write his plays for us, and he would have had no idea that we would still be reading and performing his plays today. He wrote his plays for his audience. When we understand that audience, we understand Shakespeare. "Shakespeare's Theatre" by Gustav Klimt The Elizabethan theatres were very lively places With this approach, I wrote my versions of his Hamlet, Richard III and The Merchant of Venice. In my version of Hamlet, I solved the mysteries surrounding the play for the first time -- including who Hamlet really was, and when exactly the play was first performed.

In my version of Richard III, I solved the play’s meaning for the first time, and show it to be his first great masterpiece, and it’s much funnier than you might think. In my version of The Merchant of Venice, I proved that the play is actually a bawdy farce, and that Shylock is not the villain but in fact the hero of the play. Shakespeare was not a scholar, but an author of plays -- dialogue and action -- for performance on the stage. My versions of his plays are written in a screenplay format -- dialogue and action -- for performance on film. It is my ambition to have these new versions of his plays made into films. Shakespeare’s actors were some of the biggest box-office draws of the Elizabethan period. It is my ambition to have dozens of the greatest actors and actresses come together to make a series of new films about some of the greatest stories ever written, and tell the true flesh and blood story of the man who wrote them. The more people who read this blog, and read my versions of the plays, the more likely these films will become a reality. Together, we have the power to get them made.

That is why I am promoting my work on a blog, on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and elsewhere. I am thrilled that so many thousands of people -- especially teenagers, who are just learning about Shakespeare for the first time -- are eager for a new way to see Shakespeare. If you liked this article, please share this with as many people as possible. Thank you! SparkNotes: Othello: Analysis of Major Characters Analysis of Major Characters Themes, Motifs & Symbols Othello Beginning with the opening lines of the play, Othello remains at a distance from much of the action that concerns and affects him. Roderigo and Iago refer ambiguously to a “he” or “him” for much of the first scene. When they begin to specify whom they are talking about, especially once they stand beneath Brabanzio’s window, they do so with racial epithets, not names. These include “the Moor” (I.i.57), “the thick-lips” (I.i.66), “an old black ram” (I.i.88), and “a Barbary horse” (I.i.113).

Although Othello appears at the beginning of the second scene, we do not hear his name until well into Act I, scene iii (I.iii.48). Later, Othello’s will be the last of the three ships to arrive at Cyprus in Act II, scene i; Othello will stand apart while Cassio and Iago supposedly discuss Desdemona in Act IV, scene i; and Othello will assume that Cassio is dead without being present when the fight takes place in Act V, scene i. Othello’s status as an outsider may be the reason he is such easy prey for Iago. Although Othello is a cultural and racial outsider in Venice, his skill as a soldier and leader is nevertheless valuable and necessary to the state, and he is an integral part of Venetian civic society. He is in great demand by the duke and senate, as evidenced by Cassio’s comment that the senate “sent about three several quests” to look for Othello (I.ii.46).

The Venetian government trusts Othello enough to put him in full martial and political command of Cyprus; indeed, in his dying speech, Othello reminds the Venetians of the “service” he has done their state (V.ii.348). Those who consider Othello their social and civic peer, such as Desdemona and Brabanzio, nevertheless seem drawn to him because of his exotic qualities. Othello admits as much when he tells the duke about his friendship with Brabanzio. He says, -“[Desdemona’s] father loved me, oft invited me, / Still questioned me the story of my life / From year to year” (I.iii.127–129). -Othello is also able to captivate his peers with his speech. The duke’s reply to Othello’s speech about how he wooed Desdemona with his tales of adventure is: “I think this tale would win my daughter too” (I.iii.170). Othello sometimes makes a point of presenting himself as an outsider, whether because he recognizes his exotic appeal or because he is self-conscious of and defensive about his difference from other Venetians.

For example, in spite of his obvious eloquence in Act I, scene iii, he protests, “Rude am I in my speech, / And little blessed with the soft phrase of peace” (I.iii.81–82). While Othello is never rude in his speech, he does allow his eloquence to suffer as he is put under increasing strain by Iago’s plots. In the final moments of the play, Othello regains his composure and, once again, seduces both his onstage and offstage audiences with his words. The speech that precedes his suicide is a tale that could woo almost anyone. It is the tension between Othello’s victimization at the hands of a foreign culture and his own willingness to torment himself that makes him a tragic figure rather than simply Iago’s ridiculous puppet. Iago Possibly the most heinous villain in Shakespeare, Iago is fascinating for his most terrible characteristic: his utter lack of convincing motivation for his actions. In the first scene, he claims to be angry at Othello for having passed him over for the position of lieutenant (I.i. 7–32).

At the end of Act I, scene iii, Iago says he thinks Othello may have slept with his wife, Emilia: “It is thought abroad that ’twixt my sheets / He has done my office” (I.iii.369–370). Iago mentions this suspicion again at the end of Act II, scene i, explaining that he lusts after Desdemona because he wants to get even with Othello “wife for wife” (II.i.286). None of these claims seems to adequately explain Iago’s deep hatred of Othello, and Iago’s lack of motivation—or his inability or unwillingness to express his true motivation—makes his actions all the more terrifying. He is willing to take revenge on anyone—Othello, Desdemona, Cassio, Roderigo, even Emilia—at the slightest provocation and enjoys the pain and damage he causes. Iago is often funny, especially in his scenes with the foolish Roderigo, which serve as a showcase of Iago’s manipulative -abilities. He seems almost to wink at the audience as he revels in his own skill.

As entertained spectators, we find ourselves on Iago’s side when he is with Roderigo, but the interactions between the two also reveal a streak of cowardice in Iago—a cowardice that becomes manifest in the final scene, when Iago kills his own wife (V.ii.231–242). Iago’s murder of Emilia could also stem from the general hatred of women that he displays. Some readers have suggested that Iago’s true, underlying motive for persecuting Othello is his homosexual love for the general. He certainly seems to take great pleasure in preventing Othello from enjoying marital happiness, and he expresses his love for Othello frequently and effusively. It is Iago’s talent for understanding and manipulating the desires of those around him that makes him both a powerful and a compelling figure.

Iago is able to take the handkerchief from Emilia and know that he can deflect her questions; he is able to tell Othello of the handkerchief and know that Othello will not doubt him; he is able to tell the audience, “And what’s he then that says I play the villain,” and know that it will laugh as though he were a clown (II.iii.310). Though the most inveterate liar, Iago inspires all of the play’s characters the trait that is most lethal to Othello: trust. Desdemona Desdemona is a more plausible, well-rounded figure than much criticism has given her credit for. Arguments that see Desdemona as stereotypically weak and submissive ignore the conviction and authority of her first speech (“My noble father, / I do perceive here a divided duty” [I.iii.179–180]) and her terse fury after Othello strikes her (“I have not deserved this” [IV.i.236]).

Similarly, critics who argue that Desdemona’s slightly bizarre bawdy jesting with Iago in Act II, scene i, is either an interpolation not written by Shakespeare or a mere vulgarity ignore the fact that Desdemona is young, sexual, and recently married. She later displays the same chiding, almost mischievous wit in Act III, scene iii, lines 61–84, when she attempts to persuade Othello to forgive Cassio. Desdemona is at times a submissive character, most notably in her willingness to take credit for her own murder. In response to Emilia’s question, “O, who hath done this deed?” Desdemona’s final words are, “Nobody, I myself. Farewell. / Commend me to my kind lord. O, farewell” (V.ii.133–134). The play, then, depicts Desdemona contradictorily as a self-effacing, faithful wife and as a bold, independent personality.

This contradiction may be intentional, meant to portray the way Desdemona herself feels after defending her choice of marriage to her father in Act I, scene iii, and then almost immediately being put in the position of defending her fidelity to her husband. She begins the play as a supremely independent person, but midway through she must struggle against all odds to convince Othello that she is not too independent. The manner in which Desdemona is murdered—smothered by a pillow in a bed covered in her wedding sheets—is symbolic: she is literally suffocated beneath the demands put on her fidelity. Since her first lines, Desdemona has seemed capable of meeting or even rising above those demands. In the end, Othello stifles the speech that made Desdemona so powerful. Tragically, Desdemona is apparently aware of her imminent death. She, not Othello, asks Emilia to put her wedding sheets on the bed, and she asks Emilia to bury her in these sheets should she die first.

The last time we see Desdemona before she awakens to find Othello standing over her with murder in his eyes, she sings a song she learned from her mother’s maid: “She was in love; and he proved mad / And did forsake her. She had a song of willow. / . . . / And she died singing it. That song tonight / Will not go from my mind” (IV.iii.27–30). Like the audience, Desdemona seems able only to watch as her husband is driven insane with jealousy. Though she maintains to the end that she is “guiltless,” Desdemona also forgives her husband (V.ii.133). Her forgiveness of Othello may help the audience to forgive him as well. Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Othello PRONOUNCED: o-THEL-o (English) [key] Meaning & History Perhaps an Italian diminutive of OTHO . Shakespeare used this name in his tragedy 'Othello' (1603), where it belongs to a Moor who is manipulated by Iago into killing his wife Desdemona .

No Fear Shakespeare: Othello: Characters No Fear Shakespeare Act 1, Scene 1 Othello The play’s protagonist and hero. Othello is the highly respected general of the armies of Venice, although he is not a native of Venice but rather a Moor, or North African. He is an eloquent and powerful figure, respected by all those around him. In spite of his elevated status, Othello is nevertheless easy prey to insecurities because of his age, his life as a soldier, and his self-consciousness about being a racial and cultural outsider. He possesses a free and open nature that his ensign Iago exploits to twist Othello’s love for his wife, Desdemona, into a powerful and destructive jealousy. Desdemona The daughter of the Venetian senator Brabantio. Desdemona and Othello are secretly married before the play begins. While in some ways stereotypically pure and meek, Desdemona is also determined and self-possessed. She is equally capable of defending her marriage, jesting bawdily with Iago, and responding with dignity to Othello’s incomprehensible jealousy.

Iago Othello’s ensign (a senior position also known as “ancient” or “standard-bearer”), a twenty-eight-year-old military veteran from Venice. Iago is the villain of the play. Although he is obsessive, relentless, bold, and ingenius in his efforts to manipulate and deceive the other characters—particularly Othello—Iago’s motivations are notoriously murky. At various points in the play, he claims to be motivated by different things: resentment that Othello passed him over for a promotion in favor of Michael Cassio; jealousy because he heard a rumor that Othello slept with Iago’s wife, Emilia; suspicion that Cassio slept with Emilia too. Iago gives the impression that he’s tossing out plausible motivations as he thinks of them, and that we’ll never understand what really drives his villainy. He hates women and is obsessed with other people’s sex lives. Michael Cassio Othello’s lieutenant, or second-in-command. Cassio is highly educated but young and inexperienced in battle. Iago resents Cassio’s high position and dismisses him as a bookkeeper.

Truly devoted to Othello, Cassio is ashamed after being implicated in a drunken brawl on Cyprus and losing his place as lieutenant. Iago uses Cassio’s youth, good looks, and flirtatious manner with women to play on Othello’s insecurities about Desdemona’s fidelity. Emilia Iago’s wife and Desdemona’s attendant. A cynical, worldly woman, Emilia is deeply attached to her mistress and distrustful of her husband. Roderigo A jealous suitor of Desdemona. Young, rich, and foolish, Roderigo is convinced that if he gives Iago all of his money, Iago will help him win Desdemona’s hand. Repeatedly frustrated as Othello marries Desdemona and then takes her to Cyprus, Roderigo is ultimately desperate enough to agree to help Iago kill Cassio after Iago points out that Cassio is another potential rival for Desdemona. Bianca A courtesan, or prostitute, in Cyprus. Bianca’s favorite customer is Cassio, who teases her with promises of marriage but laughs at her behind her back. Brabantio Desdemona’s father, a somewhat blustering and self-important Venetian senator.

As a friend of Othello, Brabantio feels betrayed when the general marries his daughter in secret. Duke of Venice The official authority in Venice, the duke has great respect for Othello as a public and military servant. His primary role within the play is to make Othello tell his story of how he wooed Desdemona, and then to send Othello to Cyprus. Montano The governor of Cyprus before Othello. We see Montano first in Act Two, as he recounts the status of the war and awaits the Venetian ships. Lodovico One of Brabantio’s kinsmen, Lodovico acts as a messenger from Venice to Cyprus. He arrives in Cyprus in Act Four with letters announcing that Cassio is to replace Othello as governor. Graziano Brabantio’s kinsman who accompanies Lodovico to Cyprus. Amidst the chaos of the play’s final scene, Graziano mentions that Desdemona’s father has died. Clown Othello’s servant.

Although the clown appears only in two short scenes, his jokes reflect and distort the action and words of the main plots: his puns on the word “lie” in Act Three, scene 4, for example, anticipate Othello’s confusion of two meanings of that word in Act Four, scene 1. Shakespeare's Othello - Othello's Relationship with Desdemona - Shakespeare and Race Shakespeare and Race: Othello's Relationship with Desdemona From Hamlet, an ideal prince, and other essays in Shakesperean interpretation: Hamlet; Merchant of Venice; Othello; King Lear by Alexander W. Crawford. Boston R.G. Badger, 1916. It is at this point that the second of the great problems of the play emerges. The proper understanding of the relations of Othello and Desdemona is equally important with the question of the relations of lago and Othello. The exposition of these two elements of the play is set forth by the dramatist with his usual clearness, and at considerable length, but has nevertheless escaped the notice of the critics, or has been discounted as a factor in the interpretation.

But it is high time to learn that whatever Shakespeare put deliberately into his dramas is to be considered in the interpretation. The meeting of the two search parties, each seeking Othello for a different reason, brings the relations of Othello and Desdemona into prominence. The party of Cassio, with the Senate's hasty summons to Othello, serves to give dramatic importance to Othello's great ability as a commander, and to emphasize his military value to Venice. Brabantio and his troop serve to bring out the private side of Othello's character, hither-to unsuspected. When the two parties meet, Brabantio is in a very quarrelsome mood. The cool words of Othello prevent a clash between the two: "Keep up your bright swords, for the dew will rust them." (I. ii.

75-6.) The sudden danger from the Turks at Cyprus has made great dispatch necessary, and the Duke has ordered Othello before him "even on the instant." Brabantio's appeal to the Senate occurring at the same time, Othello appears before the magnificoes in the double capacity of the General of the state entrusted with a great military exploit, and as an eloper with Brabantio's daughter. The Moor now finds that his old friend, the Signior Brabantio, formerly his admirer, has unexpectedly become his accuser before the Senate. Formerly honored as a friend and as a great soldier, and gladly admitted to Brabantio's house, Othello discovers that he is now considered an enemy, and execrated as the husband of Brabantio's daughter. For the first time, possibly, Othello becomes aware of the fact that he is not accepted on terms of full and exact equality in all particulars with the Venetians. It is likely, however, that Othello had feared this, and so took Desdemona in marriage without asking her father, evidently satisfied that as a black man he could not obtain Brabantio's consent.

When the matter is brought before the Senate, Brabantio's objections to Othello all have to do with his difference of race and color. He thinks it utterly unnatural for Desdemona to accept him willingly and knowingly. He cannot conceive how his daughter, a fair maid of Venice, could consent to marry a man of Othello's color and nationality, unless in some way out of her senses. So preposterous does it appear to him that he must suppose Othello has charmed her with drugs and magic. He cries out in his desperation: "She is abus'd, stolen from me, and corrupted By spells, and medicines, bought of mountebanks; For nature, so preposterously to err, (Being not deficient, blind, or lame of sense) Sans witch-craft could not." (I. iii. 75-9.) He reiterates his belief that it is "against all rules of nature," and speaks of Othello's supposed magic as "practices of cunning hell." Brabantio, at least, thinks the marriage of Moor and Venetian, of black and white, to be utterly preposterous and unnatural, and doubtless the other Senators shared this conviction.

It seems likely that this was also the opinion of the dramatist, for there is abundant evidence that it was always so regarded on the Elizabethan stage. Only the development of the drama will show how far Shakespeare sympathizes with this opinion. Two deeds upon the part of Othello have now brought him into active collision with other persons, and the two are related to each other. Because of his obligations to Cassio in the matter of his love-making with Desdemona he has appointed him to an important position over lago, thus making an enemy of his faithful officer. He has also stolen away Desdemona from her father, and secretly married her, making an enemy of Brabantio, who had been one of his greatest admirers among the Senate. In both cases there is evidence of his callousness and dullness of mind. Up to this point Othello had been able to carry successfully his exalted responsibility in his adopted state, but in these matters he makes a complete break-down. Not even his superior military training could save him.

He could perform well the duties of military life, but now it begins to be evident that he is not fitted for the higher and more exacting arts of peace, and especially of love, in a civilized state. When Othello leaves "the tented fields" for the streets and homes of a refined city he utterly goes to pieces, and whatever sense of honor he may have had speedily gives place to a dangerous caprice. An unsuspected weakness, or deficiency, in his character is thus laid bare, upon which the whole tragedy will later be seen to turn. This deficiency, it is now important to notice, the play implies is due to his racial character, and comes from the fact that he is a Moor. The half- civilized Othello is but ill adapted for life in civilized and cultured Venice. Some critics endeavor to make out that nothing whatever of the happenings of the play are in any way connected with the fact that Othello is a Moor. They allege he is nothing but a man, though he happens to be a black man. His color, they say, is an entirely indifferent matter in the play, and can be all but ignored in the interpretation.

On this assumption, however, the many references to his color and race throughout the play cannot well be explained. This view takes for granted that the dramatist heaps up idle words having no significance, and refuses to believe that there was a meaning in all he wrote. It is not necessary to hold, as Professor Bradley would have us believe, that the dramatist must be credited with clear doctrines of Kulturgeschichte if we are to maintain that he made the problem of Othello at least in part a problem of race. Feelings of racial differences did not have to wait for the Germans of later times to write histories of culture. In Shakespeare's day the discovery of new lands and new peoples must have impressed all thoughtful Europeans with the conception of their own superiority in all the arts and character of civilized life. And the play makes Othello quite as conscious as any one else of his diversity of race, though it is to other causes that he assigns his want of grace and culture.

When charged before the Senate with the abduction of Desdemona, Othello's defence consists of a frank and free admission that he had taken Brabantio's daughter, and an apologetic account of his "whole course of love." He pleads that he is "little blest with the soft phrase of peace," for he has spent all his life in "feats of broils, and battle." (I. iii. 104 ff.) In the course of his apology, his "round unvarnished tale" becomes eloquent with a barbaric sincerity and splendor that almost enlists the sympathy of the Senate. The story of "the battle, sieges, fortune" he had passed is almost as potent with the senators as it had been with Desdemona, who, he says, "lov'd me for the dangers I had passed, And I lov'd her, that she did pity them." (I. iii. 190-1.) He further says he is ready to abide by the decision of Desdemona, and advises the senate to call her to speak for herself.

He considers the marriage to be a matter for themselves alone, and implies that the lady has a right to choose her husband without her father's consent. There are numerous Shakespearean plays which seem to bear out the idea that the dramatist thought it to be the woman's right to choose her own husband, without meeting her father's wishes in the matter. But there are many differences, and these must be given consideration. Shakespeare undoubtedly approves such choice when it means a larger and fuller life. Juliet disobeyed a tyrannical and hateful father to find a larger life and a true spiritual union with Romeo. In the same spirit Imogen refused the coarse and villainous Cloten, to join hands and hearts with the virtuous Posthumus. The lovely Jewess, Jessica, ran away from the miserly Shylock to marry the Christian, Lorenzo, and at the same time accepted the religion of her husband. In all these cases the maidens found their true life with the men of their own choice, and the dramatist gives his verdict in making their love happy and successful, and in bringing out of their marriage a larger good to all.

There are in these and other instances, however, many differences from the case of Othello and Desdemona. It is not so much the wilful disrespect to her father that is the fault of Desdemona, though some critics make a great deal of this, but the fact that in marrying Othello she showed a wilful disregard of her own highest interests. It can scarcely be maintained that the marriage of Othello and Desdemona was a complete spiritual union, for there were too many diverse elements that at the time seemed incompatible and in the end proved entirely irreconcilable. It is true, of course, that as in the case of Juliet the passion of love transformed Desdemona from a meek and blushing maiden into a strong and self-reliant woman. There need be no attempt to deny the reality of the love of these two, and its effect upon their development, but it was not strong enough or natural enough to overcome all its enemies, as a true and natural love like that of Romeo and Juliet can do.

Under some conditions it is possible that their love might have outlived their lives and overcome its handicaps, yet it is to miss the art of this drama not to see that the dramatist is here showing its unnaturalness by placing it in the conditions that test it to the uttermost and that reveal its weakness and bring it to defeat. When Desdemona is brought into court to speak for herself in the matter of the marriage, she declares that she freely and lovingly takes Othello for her husband, and intimates that she is willing to take all the consequences of that act. She affirms her love for the Moor, and her desire to live with him, and requests to be permitted to accompany him to Cyprus. She says she understands fully what she is doing, recognizes Othello as a Moor, but that she accepts him as he is, or, as her words imply, she finds compensation for his color in the quality of his mind, in his honors, and in his courage: "My heart's subdu'd About Othello About Othello Bookmark this page Manage My Reading List The Original Story Shakespeare used existing stories as the basis for many of the plots of his plays.

He took some from history (Macbeth, for example is based on Holinshed's Chronicles) and some from stories that were circulating in books at the time. Shakespeare's tragedy Othello, written and performed in 1604 and first printed in 1622, is based on a tale in Cinthio's Hecatommithi (1565), "Un Capitano Moro." What's interesting to modern readers is how Shakespeare adapted these stories, turning bare narratives into gripping drama. The original tale, "Un Capitano Moro," concerns an unnamed Moor who marries a beautiful lady, Desdemona, despite her parents' opposition. The Moor and Desdemona live happily in Venice, and the Moor is appointed commander of troops sent to the garrison at Cyprus. He takes his wife with him. The Moor's wicked ensign falls in love with his commander's wife, Desdemona. The ensign is afraid he will be killed if the Moor discovers his secret, and all his efforts to impress Desdemona go unnoticed because she only thinks of her husband.

The ensign imagines that she loves someone else, a handsome young captain who is also in Venice, and his love turns to bitter hatred. He plots to kill the captain and revenge himself on Desdemona. The ensign bides his time. He sees his opportunity when the Moor degrades the captain for wounding a soldier and Desdemona tries to make peace between her husband and the captain. The ensign hints that Desdemona has her own reason to want the captain reinstated. When his wife claims that the demotion was an overreaction, the Moor becomes very angry and suspects that his ensign had spoken truthfully. When the ensign tells the Moor that the captain told him of the affair, the Moor demands to see proof of it. The ensign and his wife have a daughter aged about three, and one day when Desdemona visits their house, he puts the child on her lap. As Desdemona and the child play, the ensign steals one of her handkerchiefs. The ensign then leaves the handkerchief on the bed of the young captain, who recognizes it and goes to return it to Desdemona.

When the Moor answers his knock at the door, the captain runs away, but not before the Moor recognizes him. Later, the ensign laughs and jokes with the captain where the Moor can see them; he then tells the Moor him that he and the captain were talking about the captain's love affair with Desdemona and a handkerchief that she had given him. The Moor, believing that the handkerchief constitutes proof of his wife's infidelity, demands it of his wife, who, of course, cannot produce it. The Moor decides that he must kill his wife and plots with the ensign to kill both his wife and the captain. The ensign, after a large payment, waylays the captain, attacks him with his sword, and manages to wound him on the leg. Desdemona is tearful to see the captain in pain, and the Moor and the ensign beat her to death with a sand filled stocking. Then they pulled down the rotten timber ceiling on her, making it appear that the falling roof had killed her. The Moor, distracted with grief for his dead wife, turns against the ensign and cashiers him. The ensign now plots to ruin the Moor.

He goes back to Venice with the captain, now one-legged, and they accuse the Moor of injuring him and murdering Desdemona. The Moor is arrested, refuses to speak under torture, and is banished and later killed by Desdemona's family. The ensign pursues his career of villainy with other victims, but in the end is arrested and dies under torture. For a complete retelling of this story, see The Arden Shakespeare: Othello, edited by M. R. Ridley. London: Methuen, 1965. Shakespeare's Version In creating his tragedy Othello, Shakespeare tightened and dramatized the original story in several ways. The plot is concentrated in time and space, other characters are introduced to give, in several places, a double motive for an action. Iago now plots to destroy Othello, for a variety of motives, rather than Desdemona. Roderigo provides Iago with a useful dupe; his existence allows Iago to outline his wicked plans in conversation rather than soliloquy and to demonstrate his capacity for ruthless manipulation. Emilia provides a running commentary on Iago and his character, which she ascribes to all men.

She innocently picks up the handkerchief, allowing the elimination of the daughter from the plot, and is a quick source of the information that finally condemns Iago. Shakespeare also significantly altered the story's ending, concentrating revenge, love, and despair in the final dramatic scene of the play: murder in the marriage bed, followed immediately by revelation and grief. Shakespeare's Othello murders his wife alone, face to face, by strangulation, struggling with his love for her to the end. By concentrating the action and developing the characters into fully realized human beings, with their own names, personalities, and ways of looking at the world, Shakespeare created a tragedy whose beauty and pathos is universal.

Question: In Shakespeare’s ‘Othello’, what is the name of Othello’s wife?
Answer: Desdemona